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Our Staff

Jessica "Verse" Gabrielle joined the McCarthy center in 2014 as Program Assistant. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, she has performed and traveled around the world as a spoken word artist/playwright. Before arriving at USF she worked at the University of Minnesota and DePaul University as a research and graduate assistant. Verse has a BA and an MA in Sociology. In addition to providing logistical support to the McCarthy Center programs and events, Verse hopes to continue her engagement in the performing arts, research, and social justice platforms. A doctoral program is in her future!!!

Corey Cook, Associate Professor in the Department of Politics, joined the McCarthy Center as Director in 2009. Before coming to USF, Corey taught at San Francisco State, and Rutgers University, and before that worked in community development. He earned his doctorate in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison after receiving bachelors degrees in Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies from Berkeley. Corey’s recent publications include studies of multiracial electoral coalitions in American cities, contemporary white nationalist politics, and California’s political geography. He teaches courses in American politics specializing in urban and state politics, electoral politics, and housing and development policy. He came to USF in 2006 drawn largely by the McCarthy Center’s unique dual focus on developing academically rigorous student-focused programs while cultivating authentic community partnerships.

In 2011 Karin Cotterman joined the McCarthy Center as the Assistant Director for External Relations. As of March 2014, she directs Engage San Francisco, an intentional, systematic and transformative university-community initiative focused on achieving community-identified outcomes supporting children, youth and families in the Western Addition through student learning, research and teaching consistent with University of San Francisco’s mission and vision 2028. Prior to working at USF, Karin was the Associate Director for Engaged Scholarship at the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University. During her career in higher education Karin has taught a variety of courses in classroom locations ranging from University of Illinois at Springfield to Stanford University and University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Her teaching experience includes Service-Learning Pedagogy; Approaching Research in Communities; Fundamentals of Creative Writing and English Composition. Karin received her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies. Karin has served on the board of VIA (Volunteers in Asia), worked as a course facilitator through Amizade, and is a member of her neighborhood community center. Her interests include ethical considerations in service, community-campus partnerships, the intersections of identity and service, anti-racist work, and strategic thinking both organizationally and institutionally.

Fernando Enciso-Marquezjoined the McCarthy Center in 2012, and currently serves as Coordinator of Community Partnerships. He graduated from San Jose State University in 2010 with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Latin American studies, and is currently a candidate for the Masters of Public Administration degree here at USF. He has a passion for social justice based on self-determination, community development, and equitable distribution of resources. He was involved with social justice efforts throughout his undergraduate career, and upon graduation, served his internship in the Washington, DC office of Congressman Mike Honda (CA- 15). He also worked for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and the Bayview-Hunters Point community through its community-building agency, BMAGIC, to leverage resources for youth and families in Southeast San Francisco. He currently serves on the Public Education Enrichment Fund (PEEF) Community Advisory Committee through the San Francisco Unified School District. As a native San Franciscan, he is passionate about connecting students to public service opportunities to engage with our local SF communities.

Angela Fleekopjoined the McCarthy Center team in 2007 and currently serves as Administrative Director of Graduate Programs. Before moving to San Francisco, Angela worked for the U.S Attorney's Office in Washington, DC and for various legal assistance non-profit organizations across California including the Legal Aid Society and the Eviction Defense Collaborative. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Criminology from the University of California, Irvine and a Master's degree in Organization and Leadership from USF. Angela currently serves as Chair of the President's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women and on the Kappa Alpha Theta Advisory Board at USF. She is also actively involved with the American College Personnel Association, serving as Awards Chair of the Commission for Graduate and Professional Student Affairs. She loves working with students and supporting them as they work to become leaders who will create positive, lasting change in their communities.

Leslie Lombre recently joined the McCarthy Center in June 2014 as the Associate Director, leading Development and Communications for the Center’s programs. She previously worked as the Director of Development for the Museum of the African Diaspora and the San Francisco Center for the Book. Leslie comes from an extensive background in communications in the public and commercial broadcast marketplace including the promotion and syndication of PBS-produced series, news and information including Time Magazine, Money Magazine and Goldman Foundation Award Specials. Currently serving on the Boards of the Pacific Islanders in Communications and the Luggage Store Gallery/901 Cultural Center, Leslie works with a wide range of local Bay Area non-profits in media arts and education. With a B.A. degree in Communications and Public Policy from UC Berkeley, Leslie has used her expertise and cultural competency to promote diverse images across broad audiences.

Star Moore is the Director of Community-Engaged Learning, and has been with the McCarthy Center since 2005. Star specializes in working with faculty across disciplines to integrate community-engaged pedagogy into their courses by guiding development of student learning outcomes, establishing sustainable partnership frameworks, infusing reflection into course assignments and discussions, and mapping out multifaceted assessment strategies. She also contributes to institutional discourse, practices, and policies related to service-learning, program learning outcomes, assessment, community partnerships, RPT practices, and faculty development. In addition, Star oversees the visioning, planning, and implementation of the McCarthy Center's global, national, and local undergraduate public service programs, and has secured annual grant funding to sustain the Center's nationally recognized Privett Global Scholars Service-Learning Program (formerly known as Sarlo Scholars). In 2012, Star was a co-recipient of USF's Faculty Team Innovation Award for her proposal to develop and implement a Graduate-Level Community-Engaged Learning Seminar. In connection with her McCarthy Center role, she has served on the Upward Bound Integration Committee, Intercultural Centers Advisory Board, Western Addition Service Providers Cohort, the Engage San Francisco Working Group, and the University Academic Assessment Committee. Additionally, Star has provided consultations and given invited talks at local K-12 and higher education institutions on USF's community engagement and service-learning models. She previously served as a classroom teacher in public schools in Virginia and California, and worked in federal government administration prior to that. Star received her Master of Education and Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

Andrea Wise, Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Learning, joined the McCarthy Center in 2010. Andrea holds her degrees from USF: a Master’s degree in Organization and Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Creative Writing. In her role, Andrea creates and facilitates curriculum to support students' experiences in McCarthy Center programs. She loves helping students explore service-learning pedagogy, develop strong professional skills, examine their own identities and their sense of cultural humility, and pursue their best fit in public service. She has taught the USF in DC service-learning internship course and co-taught the McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento service-learning course. Andrea received the Graduate Student Leadership Award in 2013 as well as the University of San Francisco Mentor of the Year award in 2012. Outside of her McCarthy Center duties, she serves as the co-chair of the LGBTQ Caucus for Faculty and Staff and is passionate about LGBTQ equity issues. Andrea is an alumna of McCarthy Center programs, having participated in the McCarthy Center's Advocates for Community Engagement (ACE) program as an undergraduate student, which she found to be among the most meaningful parts of her college experience.